Woman who is having trouble sleeping because she has tinnitus.

Are you being kept awake by ringing in your ears? You don’t need to just live with it. If you would like to sleep better, consider these tricks to tone down this annoying unrelenting noise.

Moderate to severe tinnitus can really cause a problem with your sleeping habits. During the day, you’re preoccupied with noise and activity so your tinnitus may seem less noticeable. But at night, when it’s quiet, tinnitus can get louder and more stressful.

The good news is, if you would like to fall asleep easier, there are some things you can do.

Five tips for falling asleep with tinnitus are presented below.

1. Don’t Resist The Noise

While this may appear overwhelming, paying attention to the noise actually makes it worse. This is to some extent because for most people a rise in blood pressure can worsen tinnitus symptoms. You will feel worse the more you dwell on it and your frustration will increase. You can make the sound fade away a little by thinking about something else and employing the following techniques.

2. Follow a Nighttime Schedule

Formulating healthy sleep habits such as winding down at least 30 minutes before bed, dimming the lights and going to bed at the same time each night helps condition your body to be sleepy at the right time. This will make it less difficult to fall asleep when you’re ready.

Stress has also been linked to tinnitus. Developing habits to lessen your stress level before bed can also help, like:

  • Staying away from alcohol
  • Concentrating on thoughts that make you feel happy and calm
  • Sitting in a quiet room and reading a book
  • Stretching or doing yoga
  • At least a few hours before you go to bed, steer clear of eating
  • Making your bedroom slightly cooler
  • Bathing
  • At least an hour before going to bed, dim the lights
  • Listening to soft music or gentle sounds
  • Doing a quick meditation or deep breathing

Teaching your body to transition into sleep by getting into a predictable routine before bed helps you transition away from the stresses of the day.

3. Pay Attention to What You Eat

Artificial sweeteners and alcohol are well-known triggers for tinnitus. Steer clear of certain foods if you discover, after tracking your diet and symptoms, that they trigger or worsen your tinnitus. You may feel like you still have to have your morning coffee, but avoid caffeine in the afternoon or at nights.

4. The Common Causes of Tinnitus Should be Avoided

Ringing or other noises in your ears can be caused by many things. Dealing with the cause can help avoid tinnitus or make it better. Here are several things you can do to help:

  • Don’t use earbuds…use headphones instead and keep the sound level low
  • Go for your annual exam
  • Safeguard your ears
  • If you have underlying conditions such as high blood pressure, get help for it
  • To determine whether one of your medications is triggering tinnitus symptoms check with your doctor
  • Get treated for anxiety or depression
  • In order to identify whether your exposed to loud noises, and how to reduce that exposure, you have to assess your lifestyle

You may be able to better manage it if you can discover what’s causing the ringing.

5. Get Examined by a Hearing Care Specialist

A professional hearing exam can help you determine what’s causing your tinnitus and indicate possible treatments. There are many ways hearing professionals can help you take care of your tinnitus including:

  • Help you train your brain not to hear tinnitus by enrolling you in therapy
  • Recommending cognitive behavioral treatment to deal with thought patterns shown to make tinnitus worse
  • Fitting you for hearing aids created to cancel out the noise

Professional help can speed up recovery and help you sleep better at night. To find out if you can get some help with your tinnitus, schedule your appointment with a hearing care expert.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.